March 1, 2024
For the third time in less than 12 years, the 1984-85 NAIT Ooks hockey team will reunite in Red Deer for a hall of fame induction and this time they will be joined by the 1983-84, 1985-86 and 1986-87 Ooks. The first team in ACAC hockey history to win four consecutive conference titles will be entering the ACAC Hall of Fame on May 10th.
After five back to back champions fell short in winning a third consecutive conference title in the first two decades of play, the future ACAC Hall of Fame members became the first team to win three -- and then four -- ACAC championships in a row. The 1983-84 to 1986-87 Ooks compiled a combined regular season and post season mark of 119 wins, 14 losses and one tie for a winning percentage of .892 -- the highest in ACAC men's and women's hockey history over four seasons. With an average scoring margin of 4.52 goals per game, they had the most goals for and the fewest goals against in each of the four regular seasons and never trailed in an ACAC playoff series.
At the CCAA National Hockey Championships, the 1983-84 to 1986-87 NAIT Ooks won the most national titles (2) and the most games (10) while posting the widest average scoring margin (3.62 goals per game), the longest winning streak (7 games), the best average placement (2.25) and the highest winning percentage (.769) of the five teams from across the nation to compete in at least four consecutive CCAA National Hockey Championships as conference champions.
Three conference record winning streaks are within the record setting championship run. A 42 regular season game winning streak -- which began on December 4th, 1983 and ended on October 19th, 1985 -- was also a part of a 52 game winning streak encompassing regular season and post season action versus ACAC rivals. The 10 playoff wins within the 52 game winning streak were also a part of a 16 playoff game winning streak which began on February 23rd, 1984 and ended on March 6th, 1987.
The Ooks also etched their names in the CCAA record books. The team won an unmatched seven straight at nationals from March 28, 1985 to March 25, 1987. NAIT also posted 34 straight victories in the regular season and post season against CCAA competition from October 26, 1984 to October 19th, 1985. The latter streak included the 33 wins by the 1984-85 Ooks who were perfect in the ACAC regular season, the ACAC playoffs and the CCAA National Hockey Championships.
In addition to the four straight ACAC titles, the future hall of famers also posted back to back triumphs at the national and international levels. The 1984-85 and 1985-86 Ooks came out on top at the CCAA National Hockey Championships after downing the eventual CIAU champions en route. The 1983-84 and 1985-86 Ooks were the only team to raise the Viking Cup in consecutive tournaments at Camrose, Alberta.
For the 1984-85 Ooks, its déjà vu all over again as the team headed to Red Deer for induction into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame on June 12th, 2012 and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame on May 26th, 2017.
The May 10th event will not be the first time the 1984-86 and 1986-87 Ooks celebrated in Red Deer. The 1986-87 Ooks raised the Bill Henry Jr. Memorial Trophy at the Red Deer Arena after sweeping the Red Deer College Kings in the best of five final series to become ACAC champions and earn a berth at nationals. The 1985-86 Ooks completed a best of three semi final sweep over the Kings in the same venue.
In seventy days, team members from the four time conference champions will congregate for the first time and celebrate the recognition of a record setting run.
1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ACAC Champion | • | • | • | • |
CCAA Champion | • | • | ||
Altjahres Cup Champion | • | |||
Viking Cup Champion | • | • | ||
Perfect ACAC Regular Season | • | |||
Led ACAC Regular Season with Most Goals For | • | • | • | • |
Led ACAC Regular Season with Fewest Goals Against | • | • | • | • |
Perfect ACAC Post Season | • | • | • | |
Never Trailed in an ACAC Playoff Series | • | • | • | • |
Never Played in Deciding Game of ACAC Playoff Series | • | • | • | |
Perfect CCAA Post Season | • | • | ||
Exhibition Win over CIAU Champion | • | • | ||
Overall Average Goals For | 6.94 | 8.09 | 8.27 | 6.47 |
Overall Average Goals Against | 2.94 | 2.24 | 3.09 | 3.35 |
Overall Average Scoring Margin | 4.00 | 5.85 | 5.18 | 3.11 |
Overall Winning Percentage | .853 | 1.000 | .909 | .809 |
ACAC Individual Awards | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
CCAA Individual Awards | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Viking Cup Individual Awards | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
The 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86 and 1986-87 Ooks compiled a combined regular season and playoff total of 109 wins, 11 losses and one tie against conference competition for a winning percentage of .905 en route to an unprecedented three, and then four, consecutive ACAC hockey titles. They are one of two teams in men's hockey to accomplish the feat.
NAIT Ooks (1983-84 to 1986-87) |
SAIT Trojans (2006-07 to 2009-10) |
|
---|---|---|
Consecutive ACAC Titles | 4 | 4 |
Average ACAC Regular Season Finish | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Perfect ACAC Regular Season and ACAC Post Season | 1 | 0 |
ACAC Regular Season and ACAC Post Season Winning Streak | 52 | 13 |
ACAC Regular Season and ACAC Post Season Average Goals For | 7.59 | 4.84 |
ACAC Regular Season and ACAC Post Season Average Goals Against | 2.97 | 2.76 |
ACAC Regular Season and ACAC Post Season Average Scoring Margin | 4.62 | 2.08 |
ACAC Regular Season and ACAC Post Season Winning Percentage | .905 | .766 |
Perfect ACAC Post Season | 3 | 1 |
ACAC Post Season Winning Streak | 16 | 8 |
Trailed in an ACAC Post Season Playoff Series | 0 | 2 |
Played Deciding Game in an ACAC Post Season Playoff Series | 1 | 5 |
ACAC Post Season Average Goals For | 6.00 | 3.74 |
ACAC Post Season Average Goals Against | 2.43 | 2.76 |
ACAC Post Season Average Scoring Margin | 3.57 | 0.97 |
ACAC Post Season Winning Percentage | .952 | .686 |
Perfect ACAC Regular Season | 1 | 0 |
ACAC Regular Season Winning Streak | 42 | 13 |
Led the ACAC Regular Season with Most Goals For | 4 | 3 |
Led the ACAC Regular Season with Fewest Goals Against | 4 | 3 |
ACAC Regular Season Average Goals For | 7.92 | 5.20 |
ACAC Regular Season Average Goals Against | 3.08 | 2.76 |
ACAC Regular Season Average Scoring Margin | 4.84 | 2.44 |
ACAC Regular Season Winning Percentage | .895 | .793 |
Exhibition Wins Over CIAU/CIS Champion | 2 | 0 |
ACAC 1st Team All Conference | 15 | 6 |
ACAC 2nd Team All Conference | 8 | 9 |
ACAC Coach of the Year | 4 | 2 |
ACAC Hall of Fame Class | 2024 | 2017 |
During the conference championship run, the Ooks entered the ACAC record books numerous times including four times with records that span more than one season.
ACAC Record Spanning More Than One Season | Total | Team (Years) |
---|---|---|
Most conference championships in consecutive years | 4 | NAIT (1984-87) SAIT (2007-10) |
Most consecutive regular season/playoff wins (excluding national championships) | 52 | NAIT (1983-85) |
Most consecutive regular season wins | 42 | NAIT (1983-85) |
Most consecutive playoff game wins (excluding national championships) | 16 | NAIT (1984-87) |
At the CCAA National Hockey Championships, the four time conference champions won the most national titles (2) and the most games (10) while posting the widest average scoring margin (3.62 goals per game), the longest winning streak (7 games), the best average placement (2.25) and the highest winning percentage (.769) of the five teams from across the nation to compete in at least four consecutive CCAA National Hockey Championships as conference champions.
College of Cape Breton (1974-75 to 1977-78) |
University College of Cape Breton (1982-83 to 1986-87) |
Cariboo College (1983-84 to 1987-88) |
NAIT (1983-84 to 1986-87) |
Humber College (1985-86 to 1989-90) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Consecutive Appearances at CCAA Nationals as Conference Champions | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
CCAA National Titles | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Average Finish at CCAA Nationals | 2.75 | 4.80 | 6.20 | 2.25 | 2.40 |
Longest Winning Streak at CCAA Nationals | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
Average Goals For at CCAA Nationals | 6.11 | 5.67 | 4.20 | 6.00 | 5.12 |
Average Goals Against at CCAA Nationals | 5.67 | 4.78 | 6.73 | 2.38 | 4.18 |
Average Scoring Margin at CCAA Nationals | 0.44 | (0.89) | (2.53) | 3.62 | 0.94 |
Wins at CCAA Nationals | 5 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 9 |
Losses at CCAA Nationals | 4 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 8 |
Winning Percentage at CCAA Nationals | .556 | .389 | .257 | .769 | .529 |
During the conference championship run, the Ooks entered the CCAA record books numerous times including four times with records that span more than one season.
CCAA Record Spanning More Than One Season | Total | Team (Years) |
---|---|---|
Most national championships in consecutive years | 2 | Red Deer
(1979-80) St. Hyacinthe (1983-84) NAIT (1985-86) NAIT (1989-90) Mount Royal (1998-99) |
Most wins at national championships in consecutive years | 10 | NAIT (1984-87) |
Most consecutive wins at national championships in consecutive years | 7 | NAIT (1985-87) |
Longest overall winning streak (including national championship & conference action) |
34 | NAIT (1984-85) |
Twenty four players who donned the blue and gold during the conference championship run were honoured by the ACAC, the CCAA and/or the Viking Cup while they represented NAIT.
Player | ACAC First Team All Conference |
ACAC Second Team All Conference |
CCAA All Canadian |
CCAA Tournament All Star |
CCAA Tournament MVP |
Viking Cup All Star |
Viking Cup MVP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ron Amyotte | • | • | • | ||||
Jamie Bartman | • | • | • | ||||
Rick Chauvette | • | ||||||
Dean Clark | • | ||||||
Sid Cranston | • | ||||||
Franco Disciglio | • | ||||||
Ken Goodwin | • | ||||||
Brian Hermanutz | • | • | • | • | |||
Gary Hoekstra | • | ||||||
Jeff Lastiwka | • | • | • | ||||
Brenn Leach | • | ||||||
Gary Leach | • | ||||||
Jim Lee | • | ||||||
J.C. McEwan | • | • | |||||
Murray Melnyk | • | ||||||
Scott Melnyk | • | • | |||||
Larry Oswald | • | ||||||
Cleo Rowein | • | • | • | • | • | ||
Darren Schmidt | • | • | |||||
Mark Schultz | • | ||||||
Mike Spencer | • | • | |||||
Mike Tookey | • | • | • | ||||
Tom Tookey | • | ||||||
John Walker | • |
In addition to representing NAIT, players donned jerseys at various levels before and after their time with the Ooks.
Player | CIAU | NCAA | WHL | IHL | AHL | NHL | Europe |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ron Amyotte | • | • | |||||
Jamie Bartman | • | ||||||
Dean Clark | • | • | • | • | |||
Sid Cranston | • | • | • | ||||
Franco Disciglo | • | • | |||||
Ken Goodwin | • | • | |||||
Brian Hermanutz | • | ||||||
Brian Keates | • | • | |||||
Jeff Lastiwka | • | • | • | ||||
Brenn Leach | • | • | |||||
Gary Leach | • | ||||||
Jim Lee | • | ||||||
Hugh McCaskill | • | ||||||
J.C. McEwan | • | • | |||||
Scott Melnyk | • | ||||||
Mike Nottingham | • | • | |||||
Larry Oswald | • | ||||||
Cleo Rowein | • | ||||||
Darren Schmidt | • | • | |||||
Mark Schultz | • | ||||||
Ken Snider | • | ||||||
Mike Spencer | • | ||||||
Marty Volcan | • | ||||||
Brent Weller | • | ||||||
John Walker | • | • |
Of the five teams to win consecutive CCAA National Hockey Championships (including Les Lauréats du Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe from Quebec), the 1984-85 and the 1985-86 NAIT Ooks have the highest average goals for, the lowest average goals against, the widest average scoring margin and the best winning percentage. Not only are they the only back-to-back CCAA champions to never trail in a conference playoff series, they won every post season game against ACAC and CCAA competition.
RDC Kings (1978-79 & 1979-80) |
NAIT Ooks (1984-85 & 1985-86) |
NAIT Ooks (1988-89 & 1989-90) |
MRC Cougars (1997-98 & 1998-99) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Consecutive CCAA Titles | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Consecutive ACAC Titles | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Average ACAC Regular Season Finish | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
Perfect Post Season | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Trailed in a Post Season Playoff Series | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Perfect Regular Season | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Led Regular Season With Most Goals For | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Led Regular Season With Fewest Goals Against | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Exhibition Win Over CIAU Champion | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Overall Average Goals For | 7.79 | 8.18 | 5.75 | 5.48 |
Overall Average Goals Against | 3.24 | 2.67 | 2.94 | 2.68 |
Overall Average Scoring Margin | 4.56 | 5.52 | 2.81 | 2.79 |
Overall Winning Percentage | .857 | .955 | .809 | .753 |
Only two of the 22 teams to raise the CCAA Championship Bowl as CCAA champions have defeated the eventual CIAU (now U Sports) champion in exhibition play en route.
Season | CCAA Champion | CIAU Champion | Date | Event | Location | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984-85 | NAIT Ooks | York University Yeoman | December 30, 1984 | Altjahres Cup | Adelboden, Switzerland | NAIT 5, York U 3 |
1985-86 | NAIT Ooks | University of Alberta Golden Bears | February 2, 1986 | Ronald McDonald House Cup | Edmonton, Canada | NAIT 7, U of A 5 |
Over 100 participants in the Viking Cup represented their nation at the Olympics including a member of the Ooks. Ken Goodwin was a two-time Olympian in the sport of field hockey. The NAIT Ooks were the only team to repeat as Viking Cup champions.
Year | Viking Cup Champion | Most Valuable Player (Team) |
---|---|---|
1981 | TPS Juniors | Hannu Virta (TPS Juniors) |
1982 | CSSR (Czechoslovakia) Junior Selects | Petr Klima (CSSR) |
1984 | NAIT Ooks | Cleo Rowein (NAIT) |
1986 | NAIT Ooks | Mark Schultz (NAIT) |
1988 | University of Alberta Golden Bears | Brent Severyn (University of Alberta) |
1990 | McGill University Redmen | Jamie Reeve (McGill) |
1992 | University of New Brunswick Red Devils | Sergei Brylin (CIS) |
1994 | Russia National Junior "18" Selects | Sergei Luchinkin (Russia) |
1996 | Finland National Junior "18" Selects | Olli Jokinen (Finland) |
1998 | Saskatchewan Junior "A" (SJHL) Selects | Mark Hartigan (SJHL) |
2000 | USA National Junior "19" Selects | Rick Gorman (USA) |
2002 | Augustana University College Vikings | Jeff Tambellini (BCHL) |
2004 | Finland National Junior "18" Selects | Tuukka Rask (Finland) |
2006 | University of Guelph Gryphons | Patrick Ouelette (Augustana) |
On March 30th, 1985, the 1984-85 NAIT Ooks outscored Les Vulkins du Collège Victoriaville 9-2 in the finale of the 1984 CCAA National Hockey Championships at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre (affectionately known as the 'Crushed Can') to become the most recent men's post secondary hockey team to win all their regular season and post season games en route to a national championship.
Overall (Regular Season & Post Season} |
McMaster University Marlins (1962-63) |
Cornell University Big Red (1969-70) |
University of Toronto Varsity Blues (1972-73) |
St. Clair College Saints (1975-76) |
Bemidji State University Beavers (1983-84) |
NAIT Ooks (1984-85) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games Played | 16 | 29 | 23 | 26 | 31 | 33 |
Wins | 16 | 29 | 23 | 26 | 31 | 33 |
Losses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ties | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals For | N/A | 179 | 194 | 258 | 210 | 267 |
Goals Against | N/A | 56 | 71 | 52 | 60 | 74 |
Average Goals For | N/A | 6.17 | 8.43 | 9.92 | 6.77 | 8.09 |
Average Goals Against | N/A | 1.93 | 2.26 | 2.31 | 2.29 | 2.24 |
Average Margin of Victory | N/A | 4.24 | 6.17 | 7.62 | 4.48 | 5.85 |
Winning Percentage | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
During the perfect season, the 1984-85 Ooks established six regular season records.
ACAC Regular Season Records | Total | Team (Season) |
---|---|---|
Most points | 565 | NAIT (1984-85) |
Most goals | 222 | NAIT (1984-85) |
Most assists | 343 | NAIT (1984-85) |
Most wins (25 game regular season) | 25 | NAIT (1984-85) |
Fewest losses | 0 | NAIT (1984-85) NAIT (2015-16) |
Highest winning percentage | 1.000 | NAIT (1984-85) NAIT (2015-16) |
Ten of the 16 Alberta teams that raised the CCAA Championship Bowl also raised the Bill Henry Jr. Memorial Trophy and placed first in the regular season.
CLC Vikings (1974 -1975) |
RDC Kings (1976 -1977) |
RDC Kings (1979 -1980) |
SAIT Trojans (1980 -1981) |
NAIT Ooks (1984 -1985) |
NAIT Ooks (1985 -1986) |
NAIT Ooks (1989 -1990) |
MRC Cougars (1997 -1998) |
SAIT Trojans (1999 -2000) |
MRC Cougars (2000 -2001) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CCAA Champions | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
ACAC Champions | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
ACAC Regular Season First Place Finish | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
Perfect CCAA Post Season | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
Perfect ACAC Post Season | • | • | • | • | ||||||
Perfect ACAC Regular Season | • | |||||||||
Exhibition Win Over CIAU Champion | • | • | ||||||||
Trailed in ACAC Playoff Series | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Played Deciding Game in ACAC Playoff Series | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Overall Average Goals For | 7.27 | 5.97 | 7.35 | 7.09 | 8.09 | 8.27 | 5.97 | 6.03 | 5.97 | 6.19 |
Overall Average Goals Against | 2.73 | 2.85 | 3.35 | 3.44 | 2.24 | 3.09 | 2.44 | 2.75 | 3.05 | 2.50 |
Overall Average Scoring Margin | 4.55 | 3.12 | 4.00 | 3.65 | 5.85 | 5.18 | 3.53 | 3.28 | 2.92 | 3.69 |
Overall Winning Percentage | .864 | .794 | .868 | .882 | 1.000 | .909 | .941 | .844 | .797 | .847 |
ACAC Hall of Fame Class | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | |||||||
Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Class | 2009 | 2011 | 2011 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Class | 2017 |
CLC Vikings (1974 -1975) |
RDC Kings (1976 -1977) |
RDC Kings (1979 -1980) |
SAIT Trojans (1980 -1981) |
NAIT Ooks (1984 -1985) |
NAIT Ooks (1985 -1986) |
NAIT Ooks (1989 -1990) |
MRC Cougars (1997 -1998) |
SAIT Trojans (1999 -2000) |
MRC Cougars (2000 -2001) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Percent +/- Mean (Overall Average Goals For of 6.82 Goals Per Game) |
6.60% | -12.46% | 7.77% | 3.96% | 18.62% | 21.26% | -12.46% | -11.58% | -12.46% | -9.24% |
Percent +/- Mean (Overall Average Goals Against of 2.84 Goals Per Game) |
4.01% | -0.21% | -17.79% | -20.96% | 21.24% | -8.65% | 14.20% | 3.30% | -7.24% | 12.10% |
Percent +/- Mean (Overall Winning Percentage of .875) |
-1.21% | -9.22% | -0.75% | 0.85% | 14.34% | 3.93% | 7.59% | -3.50% | -8.87% | -3.16% |
Rank Based on Percent +/- Mean (Sum of Three Factors) |
3 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 5 |